The move will mark the end of an era for the 10-story, 42-year-old tower, which is one of the more prominent buildings outside of the Capital Region's core downtown areas and a familiar sight to motorists driving to the southern terminus of the Adirondack Northway. A neon sign near the top helps it stand out at night.

DCJS has been the building's main tenant, although the agency initially occupied five floors before eventually taking over most of the building.

"As they expanded, they took up more and more space," said Ed Swyer, president of Stuyvesant Plaza Inc., which operates the building and additional offices nearby, as well as the shopping plaza.

With a shrinking state work force and the restacking, public workers are leaving what had been 134,264 square feet of rented space in the tower.

Other restacking moves since Cuomo took office two years ago have included shifting Department of Health employees from the Hedley Building in Troy to the Corning Tower in Empire State Plaza, and moving employees into previously unused space at the Department of Environmental Conservation building in downtown Albany.

According to an October report by CBRE Market View, the vacancy rate throughout the Capital Region was recently pegged at 13.2 percent.

The rate varied widely, though, depending on location and type of space. Downtown Albany, for instance, had a 43.7 percent vacancy rate for less-desirable Class C space. That amounts to 5.6 million square feet of empty space.

Nationally, 15.7 percent of office space was vacant in the second quarter of this year, according to the report.

While restacking from suburban spots like the Executive Office Tower has had an impact, the glut of downtown space is another issue altogether, said Rich Sleasman, managing partner at CBRE's Albany commercial realty firm.

The administration's effort "is a factor, but it isn't really impacting the downtown market," he said.

The perception of parking hassles, high taxes and other costs add to the difficulty of renting in downtown Albany.

On the plus side: the area's walkability.

For the more suburban Executive Office Tower, one of the big selling points is the ease of access off the Northway and Western Avenue; ease of parking; and the adjacent Stuyvesant Plaza, which boasts 10 restaurants, a fitness club, spa, dry cleaner and other amenities.

Swyer said he had started extensive renovations to the tower, including new high-efficiency elevators, upgraded bathrooms and exterior improvements, before the landlord got word that the state wouldn't renew its lease.

Swyer said he realizes that restacking makes sense from a taxpayer standpoint. And he feels confident that the tower will be rented out in short order.

Moreover, the restacking has removed what had been a "dark cloud" hovering over landlords who rent to the state.

"Once we fill those buildings, then we don't have the threat all the time of the state moving out," he said.